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Description

The aim is to get them thinking about food groups, nutrition, budget, equipment, and teamwork before they cook. You want them to leave with a clear written plan for their patrol meal.

Resources

Cards of common ingredients
Prices of those common ingredients
Access to internet to research any other ingredient's price

Instructions

1. Menu Challenge Briefing (10 mins)

Explain that next week they’ll be cooking their menu for real on the double burners.

Give constraints (time, budget, equipment).

e.g. They must make one main and one dessert.

All cooking must be achievable on a double gas burner (no ovens).

Cost per head = £2–3.

Cooking, eating and washing up must fit in the 90 mins next week.

2. Ingredient Cards Game (15 mins)

Give out laminated cards with common ingredients (pasta, rice, chicken, onions, tomatoes, cheese, apples, custard, etc.).

They must “shop” from the cards to build a balanced menu.

Add wild cards (spices, herbs, “mystery tin”).

3. Patrol Brainstorm (20 mins)

Patrols draft 2–3 possible menu ideas.

Encourage them to think about nutrition (carb, protein, veg, fruit).

Leaders circulate, questioning feasibility.

4. Budgeting Game (15 mins)

Give each ingredient a cost (using printed price lists from a supermarket).

They must check their menu stays in budget.

Bonus: give them £1–2 “leftover change” to encourage resourcefulness (fruit for pudding, spices, etc.).

5. Menu Pitch (20 mins)

Each patrol presents their chosen menu to the rest of the group (2 mins each).

They explain why it’s balanced, affordable, and doable.

Scouts vote (not for their own patrol) on “best value,” “most creative,” “most balanced.”

6. Final Menu Write-Up (10 mins)

Patrol scribes complete a menu card (ingredients, quantities, steps, who does what).

These get kept for next week as their “recipe card.”

Tags

• Plan a Meal
• teamworking

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